Spiritus - Spiritus Executive Director

H-Net; New York (NY); On-site; USD 77,000 - 94,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Generous annual leave

Travel opportunities

Job summary

Spiritus, based in New York City, seeks an Executive Director to shape its future, lead its team, and build sustaining relationships with donors and partners. You will collaborate with the Founder and Artistic Director, representing Spiritus and guiding priorities within budgets.

The ideal candidate combines humanities interest with strong communication, organizational skills, and a track record in fundraising or partnerships. Remote travel and collaboration across disciplines are expected.

Qualifications

• Experience in fundraising or institutional partnerships is helpful but not required.
• Excellent writing and editorial judgment for clear, persuasive communications.
• Strong relationship-building skills to inspire donors and partners.
• Ability to work independently and manage priorities with sound judgment.

Responsibilities

• Represent Spiritus at meetings, concerts, and cultural gatherings with donors and partners.
• Cultivate lasting relationships and secure support through proposals and engagement.
• Guide projects from planning to completion, overseeing schedules and budgets.
• Lead local and international teams to bring projects to life.

Skills

Fundraising experience

Editorial writing

Relationship building

Independent work

Job description

Spiritus is a Catholic music and arts initiative dedicated to renewing and advancing the Church's great artistic and spiritual tradition. We bring together musicians, artists, and scholars to create works of beauty and spiritual depth, drawing people into prayer and opening their hearts to the presence of God.

Through recordings, performances, publications, and research, we seek to enrich worship and bring sacred music into the heart of contemporary cultural life. Current projects include recordings in European churches and cathedrals; research that brings little-known treasures of sacred music to light; liturgical music resources; publications combining musicology, theology, and visual art; and ILLUMINA at Christ Cathedral, uniting music and light with artistic voices from communities around the world.

The Role:

We seek an Executive Director to help shape Spiritus's future, lead its team, and build the relationships that sustain its work. Working closely with the Founder and Artistic Director, you will have the authority to represent Spiritus and make independent decisions within agreed priorities and budgets.

This opportunity may particularly appeal to someone with a background in the humanities who wishes to bring their intellectual interests, gifts for communication, and organizational abilities into the life of a growing Catholic arts initiative. Your intellectual judgment will contribute to shaping projects and communicating their significance across music, history, theology, and the visual arts.

• Represent Spiritus at meetings, concerts, and cultural gatherings, serving as a principal contact for donors, institutional partners, and Church communities in New York City and beyond.
• Cultivate lasting relationships with current and prospective supporters, inspiring commitment to Spiritus's mission and inviting support through personal engagement and compelling proposals.
• Guide projects from planning to completion, setting clear priorities and overseeing schedules and budgets with care and sound judgment.
• Lead Spiritus's local and international teams, drawing on their strengths and working alongside them to bring our projects to life.

Our calendar includes a small number of major events each year, alongside ongoing projects. We envisage approximately 20-25 hours a week devoted to organizational responsibilities, with the remaining time dedicated to cultivating relationships and philanthropic support.

Qualifications:

• A strong affinity with Spiritus's mission, a thoughtful understanding of Catholic life and culture, and an interest in sacred music and the arts.
• Excellent writing skills and editorial judgment, with the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively in correspondence, proposals, and public communications.
• An engaging presence and a talent for building relationships, earning trust, and inspiring support. Experience in fundraising or institutional partnerships is welcome but not essential.
• Sound judgment and the confidence to take initiative, with a record of bringing projects to successful completion.
• The ability to work independently, guide colleagues, delegate clearly, and manage shared priorities and resources.

We welcome candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, including music, the visual arts, museums and galleries, education, publishing, Catholic institutions, philanthropy, and public service. The role could equally suit a scholar completing advanced study in the humanities or an experienced professional from any field seeking a new chapter of meaningful work.

We value demonstrated ability and achievement over a particular degree, job title, or career path. We are seeking a natural builder - someone who would embrace the freedom and responsibility to create opportunities, take initiative, and shape Spiritus's growth alongside us.

Compensation and Working Arrangements:

The starting salary is $85,000, with the opportunity for substantial increases as Spiritus grows. We want the Executive Director to share in the success they help create, with compensation increasing as their leadership builds the organization’s impact and sustainability.

Candidates should be based in New York City by the start of their appointment and retain it as their home base, with regular availability for in-person meetings and events. You may work remotely while travelling, including internationally, without using your annual leave. Evening and weekend engagements are balanced by flexibility elsewhere in the week.

The role offers substantial opportunities to travel to Spiritus projects and events across the United States and internationally, particularly in California and Europe.

Spiritus values time for rest, family, travel, and personal and spiritual development. The role includes 50 working days (10 weeks) of paid annual leave each year, in addition to public holidays. Annual leave is planned around key commitments.

Benefits also include an employer contribution of up to $1,000 per month toward health insurance premiums.

EEO Statement:

Spiritus is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. While this description outlines the general expectations of this role, other duties may be assigned.